UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS

Transcription

1 2004 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: TEXAS BANKRUPTCY COURT, TEXAS FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT, FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT BANKRUPTCY DECISIONS Honorable Harlin D. Cooter Hale UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS 1100 Commerce Street, 14 th Floor Dallas, Texas (214) Telephone (214) Telecopier Gerrit M. Pronske KIRKPATRICK & LOCKHART L.L.P North Harwood Street, Suite 1800 Dallas, Texas (214) Telephone (214) Telecopier gpronske@kl.com TH ANNUAL ADVANCED CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY COURSE STATE BAR OF TEXAS SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 HOUSTON, TEXAS DA v1

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3 BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION HONORABLE HARLIN D. COOTER HALE Born in Natchez, Mississippi. B.S., 1979, Louisiana State University. J.D., 1982, Paul M. Herbert School of Law, LSU, Order of the Coif , Law Clerk to the Honorable James L. Dennis, Associate Justice, Louisiana Supreme Court, now Judge on United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals , Private practice of law in Dallas, Texas. November 1, 2002, appointed United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Texas. Membership: Dallas Bar Association; Dallas Bankruptcy Bar Association; Louisiana State Bar Association; Texas Bar Association; American Bar Association; National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges; Master, John C. Ford American Inn of Court. GERRIT M. PRONSKE B.A., 1980, Texas Tech University, with High Honors J.D., 1983, Texas Tech University School of Law Partner, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart L.L.P to Present Author, Pronske s Texas Bankruptcy, Annotated , (Third Edition), published by Texas Lawyer Press Editor, Texas Bankruptcy Decisions to 2003 Editor, Texas Bankruptcy Court Reporter to 1995 Former Law Clerk to Honorable Robert C. McGuire, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division Board Certified - Business Bankruptcy Law - American Board of Certification/American Bankruptcy Institute Membership: Dallas Bar Association, American Bankruptcy Institute, Master, John C. Ford American Inn of Court, Texas Bar Association, American Bar Association Licensed in the States of Texas and New Mexico Frequent author and lecturer at continuing legal educational programs DA v1

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTENTION...1 ADMINISTRATIVE CLAIMS...2 APPEALS...2 ATTORNEYS FEES...6 AUTOMATIC STAY...9 CASH COLLATERAL...10 CLAIMS...16 CONVERSION...18 CREDITORS COMMITTEE...19 DISCHARGE...20 DISCHARGEABILITY...23 DISCRIMINATION...28 DISMISSAL...29 ERISA...30 ESTOPPEL...31 EVIDENCE...33 EXEMPTIONS...33 FIDICIARY DUTIES...36 FORWARD CONTRACT...36 FRADULENT TRANSFER...37 HOMESTEAD...38 JURISDICTION...40 LIEN AVOIDANCE...41 PROCEDURE...41

5 PROPERTY OF THE ESTATE...43 SANCTIONS...44 SECURED TRANSACTIONS...44 SETOFF...44 SETTLEMENT...45 TAXES...46 TRUSTEES...47

6 2004 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: TEXAS BANKRUPTCY COURT, TEXAS FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT, FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, AND UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT BANKRUPTCY DECISIONS ABSTENTION Barbee v. Colonial Healthcare Center (In re East Texas Healthcare, Inc.), 2004 WL ; (N.D.Tex., March 22, 2004, Judge David C. Godbey) Issue: Whether the bankruptcy court abused its discretion in dismissing a cross-complaint based on permissive abstention Issue: Whether plaintiff should have been granted leave to amend their pleadings to allege diversity jurisdiction In this involuntary proceeding, the chapter 7 trustee filed a complaint to determine the validity of competing claims to certain funds interpleaded into the registry of the bankruptcy court. By agreed judgment, plaintiff was determined to hold the first priority lien and security interest in the accounts receivable of defendant, a stranger to the proceedings. After an agreed judgment was entered, plaintiff amended its answer and filed a cross-claim against defendant seeking turnover. The bankruptcy court granted defendant s motion to dismiss, applying permissive abstention under 28 U.S.C. 1334(c)(1). The bankruptcy court reasoned that it should abstain because: (1) absent the bankruptcy case, there would be no federal jurisdiction; (2) the matters raised were wholly dependent on state law; (3) litigation concerning the accounts receivable of defendant had been pending in state court; and (4) comity and respect for state law weighed in favor of abstention. After the bankruptcy court dismissed the cross-claim, plaintiff sought leave to amend its cross-complaint to allege diversity jurisdiction. The bankruptcy court denied the motion for leave to amend, finding the motion untimely, and holding that allegations of diversity jurisdiction would not affect its decision to abstain. The court held that the appropriate standard of review for permissive abstention is abuse of discretion and that reversal is not justified if the ruling of the court can be supported on any ground. Bankrutpcy courts can consider a variety of factors when determining whether to permissively abstention including (1) the administrative effect on the estate in the event of a bankruptcy court recommendation of abstention; (2) the extent to which state law issues predominate over bankruptcy issues; (3) the difficulty or unsettled nature of applicable state law; (4) the existence of any related proceedings; (5) the jurisdictional basis, if any, other than 28 U.S.C. 1334; (6) the degree of relatedness of the proceeding to the main bankruptcy case; (7) the substance rather than the form of an asserted core proceeding; (8) the feasibility of state claim severance from core bankruptcy matters; (9) the present docket burden in the

7 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 1 Bankruptcy Court; (10) the likelihood of forum shopping by one party; (11) the existence of the right to a jury trial by either party; and (12) the presence of nondebtor parties in the proceeding. The bankruptcy court is not required to address each factor, and permissive abstention may be warranted even though some of factors are absent. Further, a decision to grant leave to amend is within the discretion of the trial court, and is also reviewed under an abuse of discretion standard. In deciding whether to grant leave to amend, the court may consider such factors as undue delay, bad faith or dilatory motive on the part of the movant, repeated failure to cure deficiencies by amendments previously allowed, undue prejudice to the opposing party, and futility of amendment. Centre Strategic Inv. Holdings Limited v. Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (In re Senior Living Properties, LLC), 294 B.R. 698; (Bankr. N.D. Tex., June 24, 2003, Judge Steven A. Felsenthal) Issue: Whether the bankruptcy court should abstain, either under mandatory abstention or discretionary abstention provisions of 28 U.S.C. 1334(c), from hearing an action brought by the parent corporation of a Chapter 11 debtor seeking a declaratory judgment that it was not liable for the debtor s debts as a de facto partner. In a declaratory judgment adversary proceeding, the parent corporation of a Chapter 11 debtor sought a declaration that it had no liability to the debtor s estate based on alter ego claims. The debtor s unsecured creditors committee requested the court to abstain from adjudicating the complaint. The court first addressed whether mandatory abstention, found in 28 U.S.C. 1334(c)(2), applied. Such provision requires abstention if a proceeding is based on a state law claim, is related to a bankruptcy case but not arising under title 11 or arising in a title 11 case, with respect to which an action could not have been brought in federal court absent bankruptcy jurisdiction, and can be timely adjudicated in a state court. The committee asserted that the parent was is liable to the creditors of the debtor as a de facto general partner with the debtor, and that this alter ego claim derived from state law. On its surface, the court agreed that the alter ego claim would have an existence outside of bankruptcy. However, the court found guidance from the Fifth Circuit that a state law cause of action that could exist outside of bankruptcy may be so inseparable from the bankruptcy case to give the court discretion whether to abstain from hearing the cause. A claim not based on any right created by the Bankruptcy Code can nevertheless be inseparable from a bankruptcy court to be considering arising in the case. The court found that the committee s alter ego claim against the parent fit this scenario for various reasons, including: The entire posture of the litigation of the alter ego claim by the committee is intertwined with the bankruptcy case. The committee is an entity created by the Bankruptcy Code. The alter ego claim constitutes property of the bankruptcy estate. The court further found that the parent had filed a large claim in the bankruptcy case, and that the parent s claim and the committee s de facto partnership claim arise from the same underlying facts regarding the operation of the nursing homes. As a counter-claim to the parent s claim, the de facto partnership claim presented a core matter. Therefore, the court held that the de facto partnership alter ego claim arose in the debtor s bankruptcy case, as the claim was inseparable from the case. Therefore, mandatory abstention was inapplicable, and the court had discretion as to whether to abstain. The court next held that it would not exercise discretionary abstention, citing to the following considerations: First, the court found the alter ego claims to be inextricably involved with the bankruptcy case. Next, resolution of the dispute would facilitate the ultimate resolution of the bankruptcy case. Next, the de facto partnership alter ego counter-claim should be resolved in the same forum. Next, the claims allowance process as affected by the counter-claim constituted a core matter, which should be

8 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 2 resolved in the administration of the bankruptcy case. The court therefore denied the committee s request that the court abstain from the adversary proceeding. ADMINISTRATIVE CLAIMS In re Reed, 293 B.R. 698; (Bankr. N.D. Tex., May 16, 2003, Judge Robert L. Jones) Issue: Whether interest is allowable to administrative claimants in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case under section 726(a)(5) where a surplus is available over creditor claims. A Chapter 7 trustee s final report showed enough funds on hand to pay all of the debtor s creditors and distribute a surplus back to the debtor. The trustee s final report therefore proposed to pay interest on administrative claims, which the trustee argued was mandated in surplus cases by section 726(a)(5), which provides in a surplus case for payment of interest at the legal rate from the date of the filing of the petition on certain claims, including priority claims. The trustee proposed to pay interest on his trustee fees, expenses, attorneys fees and accountant fees. As provided in section 726(a)(5), the trustee proposed to pay interest from the date of the petition. The United States Trustee agreed that administrative expenses were entitled to interest under section 726(a)(5), but argued that such interest cannot accrue from the petition date, which would lead to the absurd result of payment of interest on a claim for a time period before which such claim exists. The court found that most courts that have addressed the issue of interest on administrative claims in a surplus case generally agree that interest is payable pursuant to section 726(a)(5), but disagree over when such interest begins to accrue. The majority of courts hold that interest begins to accrue as of the date of the trustee s fee award, while the minority view holds that interest begins to accrue as of the date of the filing of the petition. The court in this case could not fully agree with either the majority or the minority view. Instead, the court began the analysis with section 726(a)(5), which, in a surplus case, directs the payment of interest at the legal rate from the date of filing of the petition on any claim paid under paragraph (1) of section 726(a). Paragraph (a)(1) refers to payment of section 507 claims, proof of which is timely filed under section 501. The court raised the question raised of whether section 727(a)(1) authorizes the payment of an administrative expense as opposed to a claim, and found dispositive that section 501 addresses the filing of a proof of claim by a creditor, which, in turn, is defined in section 101(10) as an entity that has a claim against the debtor that arose at the time of or before the order for relief concerning the debtor.... Therefore, with such section read together, the court held that the claims of the Trustee, his attorney, and accountant for compensation and expenses arose during the pendency of the Chapter 7 proceeding and thus after the order for relief. They do not, therefore, constitute claim-filing creditors. The court concluded that the trustee, his attorney, and his accountant did not represent the holders of claims intended to be paid under section 726(a)(1), and therefore denied payment of interest under section 726(a)(5). APPEALS Till v. SCS Credit Corp., 124 S. Ct. 1951, 2004 WL ; (US, May 17, 2004, plurality opinion by Justice John P. Stevens) Issue: The appropriate interest rate to be utilized in a bankruptcy cram down plan

9 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 3 Chapters 11 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code permit bankrupt debtors to confirm bankruptcy plans that force secured lenders to accept treatment of their indebtedness against their will, within certain statutory guidelines. This type of plan is typically referred to as a cram down plan. One of the statutory requirements of a cram down plan is that the debtor s proposed treatment of the secured lender must provide for payments to the lender over time whose total value, as of the plan s confirmation date, is not less than the [claim s] allowed amount. This statutory provision, in turn, requires that the creditor receive disbursements whose total present value equals or exceeds the allowed secured claim. To satisfy these requirements, courts require a debtor s plan to provide the secured lender with a rate of interest that will provide to such lender the equivalent of the present value of the lender s allowed secured claim. Since the Bankruptcy Code does not specify what rate of interest is appropriate, courts have wrestled with the appropriate methodology to determine the rate of interest that must be paid by a debtor in a bankruptcy plan to satisfy statutory confirmation requirements. Various bankruptcy courts, federal district courts and federal courts of appeal have adopted a number of approaches to fill in the blanks left by the Bankruptcy Code as to the appropriate rate. These approaches, all discussed in the three Supreme Court opinions in Till v. SCS Credit Corp., include the formula approach, the coerced loan approach, the presumptive contract rate approach, and the cost of funds approach. The particular facts addressed by the Supreme Court in Till v. SCS Credit Corp. involved a Chapter 13 (or individual debt adjustment) plan. However, at least the plurality opinion, authored by Justice Stevens, found it likely that Congress intended bankruptcy courts to follow essentially the same approach when choosing an appropriate interest rate under other Chapters of the Bankruptcy Code, including Chapter 11. Under the facts before the Court, the debtor s plan had proposed the lender an interest rate of 9.5% on its secured claim, a rate that was reached by augmenting the national prime rate of 8% to account for the nonpayment risk posed by borrowers in petitioners financial position. In confirming the plan, the bankruptcy court overruled the lender s objection that it was entitled to its contract interest rate of 21%. The district court reversed, ruling that the 21% rate was appropriate because cram down rates must be set at the level the creditor could have obtained had it foreclosed on the loan, sold the collateral, and reinvested the proceeds in equivalent loans. This approach is commonly referred to as the coerced loan approach. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals adopted even a different approach, holding that the original contract rate was a presumptive rate that could be challenged with evidence that a higher or lower rate should apply, and remanding the case to the bankruptcy court to afford the parties an opportunity to rebut the presumptive 21% rate. A dissenting opinion in the Seventh Circuit case proposed yet another approach, the cost of funds rate, which focuses on what it would cost the creditor to obtain the cash equivalent of the collateral from another source. On appeal to the Supreme Court, the issue squarely before the Court was the appropriate test to be adopted in a bankruptcy cram down scenario for a bankruptcy court to determine which rate of interest satisfies the statutory requirement of plan confirmation. The resolution of the issue, however, was not so square. Instead, three separate opinions were offered by Justice Stevens (writing the plurality opinion on behalf of four justices), Justice Thomas (concurring on his own), and Justice Scalia (dissenting with the Court s judgment on behalf of four justices). These opinions do not contain a majority voice definitively adopting any of the specific interest rate approaches developed by the lower courts. Under principles of Supreme Court plurality opinion interpretation, [w]hen a fragmented Court decides a case and no single rationale explaining the result enjoys the assent of five Justices, the holding of the Court may be viewed as that position taken by those Members who concurred in the judgments on the narrowest grounds. Marks v. United States, 430 U.S. 188, 193, 97 S.Ct. 990 (1977). Therefore, to discern any holding from the Till decision, some degree of analysis of each of the three opinions becomes necessary.

10 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 4 Justice Stevens plurality opinion rejected the coerced loan, presumptive contract rate, and cost of funds approaches utilized by the lower courts, and concluded that the appropriate formula to determine the appropriate interest rate in a cram down plan begins with the national prime rate, and thereafter makes certain adjustments based on various market factors. The plurality opinion found that the Bankruptcy Code does not give much guidance as to the manner in which the appropriate rate should be calculated. The promise of future payments to a lender is obviously worth less than an immediate lump sum payment, due to lost opportunity and the risks of inflation and nonpayment. In the marketplace, lenders look to the national prime rate, which reflects the financial market s estimate of the amount a commercial bank should charge a creditworthy commercial borrower to compensate for the loan s opportunity costs, the inflation risk, and relatively slight default risk. Likewise, the plurality opinion believed that a bankruptcy court should begin with the prime rate, and make adjustments to account for the greater nonpayment risk that bankrupt debtors typically pose. Such adjustments should take into consideration various factual circumstances that would require the bankruptcy court to hold a hearing to permit the debtor and creditors to present evidence about the appropriate risk adjustment. Factors that a bankruptcy court should take into consideration in determining the appropriate risk adjustment include the circumstances of the estate, the nature of the security, and the duration and feasibility of the reorganization plan. Justice Thomas concurring opinion, unlike those of the eight other Justices, did not believe that the plain meaning of the present value requirement of the appropriate Chapter 13 plan confirmation statute required any analysis regarding risk. Instead, stated Justice Thomas, a creditor receives the present value of its claim only if the total amount of the deferred payments includes the amount of the underlying claim plus an appropriate amount of interest to compensate the creditor for the decreased values of the claim caused by the delayed payments. In most, if not all cases, Justice Thomas believed that the Bankruptcy Code s present value requirement is met where a bankruptcy plan proposes to simply pay a cash stream with the appropriate risk-free rate of interest, which would be most closely approximated by the prime rate. Justice Scalia s dissenting opinion agreed with the plurality on a number of points of analysis, most notably that deferred payments must compensate for risk in order to meet the requirements of the relevant Bankruptcy Code provisions. However, the dissenting opinion sharply disagreed with the beginning point of the analysis as the prime rate of interest. Instead, Justice Scalia would have bankruptcy courts begin with the contract rate of interest as the starting point, to which a presumption would attach, only to be defeated by an evidentiary showing of a more appropriate rate. This starting point, according to the dissent, would more appropriately compensate a creditor for the actual risk of the bankruptcy plan. Given the lack of a clear majority, the holding of the Court is difficult to discern. Utilizing the Court s plurality interpretive devices contained in Marks, several points of agreement of majority members may be significant. First, five Justices agreed that the presumptive contract rate is not the appropriate rate. Second, eight of the Justices agreed that risk of default must be taken into consideration when determining whether a secured creditor is receiving the present value of its claim in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan. Third, five of the Justices agreed that the prime rate of interest is the foundation of the analysis (with the plurality adding on for risk, and Justice Thomas ending there). Fourth, five of the Justices seem to agree that the appropriate rate is no more than the formula of the prime rate plus add-ons for risk. Which of these apparent points of agreement come to be viewed as holdings of the Court remains to be seen. In the mean time, without crystal clear guidance from the Supreme Court, it is likely that lower courts will remain split in their analysis of the issue. Only a change in the statute by Congress or a more decisive ruling from the Supreme Court will finally resolve the question. Hough v. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, 2004 WL ; (N.D. Tex., May 19, 2004, Senior Judge Jerry Buchmeyer)

11 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 5 Issue: In a bankruptcy appeal to the district court, whether the failure to provide the district court with a transcript of the evidence from the trial should result in the bankruptcy court s ruling being affirmed. Debtor was diagnosed with bipolar for a number of years. Since the diagnosis, debtor obtained a Masters in Business Administration and worked in various fields. He also graduated from law school and passed the bar exam. While attending law school, debtor obtained several student loans. After debtor filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 7, he sought to have the student loans discharged as an undue hardship exception of section 523(a)(8). He argued that repayment of the loans would impose on him an undue hardship because his bipolar disorder would prevent him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment necessary to repay the loans. The bankruptcy court rejected his argument and ruled in favor of the student loan lenders. On appeal to the district court, the court reviewed the elements of the Brunner test, based on undue hardship, as requiring the debtor to shows: (1) that he cannot maintain, based on current income and expenses, a minimal standard of living for himself and his dependents, if forced to repay the loans; (2) that additional circumstances exist indicating that this state of affairs is likely to persist for a significant portion of the repayment period of the student loans; and (3) that he has made good faith efforts to repay the loans. The district court found that although the debtor argued numerous points of error in the bankruptcy court s judgment, he had not provided the district court with a transcript of the evidence from the bankruptcy court trial. If an appellant intends to urge on appeal that a finding or conclusion is unsupported by the evidence or is contrary to the evidence, the appellant must include in the record a transcript of all evidence relevant to that finding or conclusion. In this case because the debtor failed to provide a transcript, the district court held that the debtor had not carried his burden of showing that the factual findings of the bankruptcy court were clearly erroneous. Therefore, the district court affirmed the decision of the bankruptcy court. General Electric Capital Corp. v. Torres Concrete Pumping Services, Inc., 43 Bankr. Ct. Dec. 6; 2004 WL ; (W.D. Tex., April 15, 2004, Judge Xavier Rodriguez) Issue: Whether the appeal of an order confirming a plan should be dismissed as equitably moot where the appellant had failed to seek a stay pending appeal, the plan was substantially consummated, and the requested relief would adversely impact the success of the plan. A Chapter 11 debtor was the lessor of various trucks and equipment. During the pendency of the bankruptcy proceeding the bankruptcy court entered an order permitting the debtor to wait until confirmation of its reorganization plan to assume or reject the leases, conditioned on making various payments until the assumption or rejection of the leases. Debtor filed its plan, and a motion to assume, proposing to assume the leases and cure the arrearages. Lessor objected to the plan, asserting that the arrearages on the first three leases were in excess of the proposed cure amount. The bankruptcy court confirmed the plan over lessor s objections, and granted the motion to assume. However, it did not enter written orders at that time. Two months later, the lessor filed a motion to modify the plan, for various reasons. After a hearing, the bankruptcy court entered orders confirming the plan and denying the motion to modify. On appeal to the district court, the debtor opted to file, in lieu of a response brief on the merits, a motion to dismiss the appeal, arguing that the appeal was moot under the doctrine of equitable mootness because the plan of reorganization had been substantially consummated. The court found that equitable mootness is not an Article III inquiry as to whether a live controversy is presented; rather, it is a recognition by the appellate courts that there is a point beyond which they cannot order fundamental

12 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 6 changes in reorganization actions. A reviewing court may decline to consider the merits of a confirmation order when there has been substantial consummation of the plan such that effective judicial relief is no longer available, even though there may still be a viable dispute between the parties on appeal. To determine whether an appeal of a reorganization plan is moot, the court evaluates three factors: (1) whether a stay has been obtained; (2) whether the plan has been substantially consummated; and (3) whether the relief requested would affect either the rights of parties not before the court or the success of the plan. In applying the three prong factors, the court first found that the lessor had failed to seek a stay pending appeal. The court next found that plan had been substantially consummated, and that payments had been made on the leases. The second prong of the equitable mootness test requires only substantial consummation, not absolute or complete consummation. With respect to the third prong, the court concluded that the relief requested by the lessor would substantially affect the success of the debtor s Chapter 11 plan. Allowing the debtor to assume the leases under the terms of the plan was essential to the plan and debtor s ability to reorganize and emerge from bankruptcy as a viable concern. To unravel the plan would not only jeopardize but also eviscerate the plan and thwart debtor s ability to reorganize. The district court therefore dismissed the appeal as moot. Roth v. Mims, 2003 WL ; (N.D. Tex., July 11, 2003, Judge Sam A. Lindsay) Issue: Whether, pursuant to Red. R. App. P. 4(a)(5)(A), a party was entitled to file an appeal of a district court judgment 3 months after its entry where the party was entitled to receive notice of entry of the judgment, but did not receive such notice. A party to a judgment of the district court did not receive notice of the entry of a judgment. Based on this failure, the party did not file an appeal of the judgment in the normal 30 day timeframe contained in Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A). The party therefore filed a motion to reopen the time to file an appeal. The district court found that ordinarily, a party in a civil case must file a notice of appeal within 30 days after the judgment or order appealed from is entered. The district court may extend this deadline upon a showing of excusable neglect if the party moves for an extension within 30 days after the expiration of the appellate time period under Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(5)(A). The court may also reopen the time to file an appeal if (A) the motion is filed within 180 days after the judgment or order is entered or within 7 days after the moving party receives notice of the entry, whichever is earlier; (B) the court finds that the moving party was entitled to a notice of the entry of the judgment or order sought to be appealed but did not receive the notice from the district court or any party within 21 days after entry; and (C) the court finds that no party would be prejudiced. In this case, the district court found, with undisputed evidence, that the party did not receive notice of the court s judgment entered until nearly 3 months later. After receiving notice of the judgment, the party filed his motion within the seven-day time period contained in the Rule. The court therefore granted the motion to reopen the time to file the appeal out of time. ATTORNEYS In re Luna, 2004 WL (W.D. Tex., July 19, 2004, Judge Xavier Rodriquez) Issue: Whether the bankruptcy court had the authority to disbar an attorney from practicing before the bankruptcy courts for the Western District of Texas without complying with a local rule requirement first requiring referral of the attorney to a committee.

13 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 7 A Chapter 13 debtor s attorney appealed to the district court the bankruptcy court s decision to bar counsel from practicing before the Bankruptcy Courts of the Western District of Texas and ordering him to disgorge certain fees. The bankruptcy court s order also commanded the U.S. Chapter 13 Trustees to withhold any fees previously earned in Chapter 13 bankruptcies. The district court found that any court, including a bankruptcy court, has the power to discipline attorneys who appear before it. However, disbarment and suspension plainly are among the most grievous sanctions which can be imposed. Local District Court rules for the Western District of Texas, which the bankruptcy court must conform with, lay out a procedure which affords attorneys an opportunity to be heard and to challenge their disbarment. This rule requires referral of the attorney to a committee for appropriate review, investigation, and recommendation. While this procedure is not necessary when the court wields its inherent power to sanction an attorney or hold an attorney in contempt of court, it is absolutely necessary when a judge considers disbarring an attorney from practicing in the district. In this case, the bankruptcy judge issued the order to disbar counsel from practicing before the bankruptcy courts of the Western District of Texas, rather than complying with the local rule that refers this action to the division s committee. Accordingly, the district court vacated the bankruptcy court s order and remanded to comply with the local rules, as well as the district court s order. ATTORNEYS FEES Lamie v. United States Trustee, 124 S.Ct. 1023; (January 26, 2004, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy) Issue: Whether section 330(a), governing compensation of professionals, permits a Chapter 11 debtor s counsel to be compensated for work performed for the debtor following a conversion of the bankruptcy case to Chapter 7. Prior to an amendment of section 330(a) in 1994, the statute authorized a court to award to a trustee, an examiner, a professional person employed under section 327, or to a debtor s attorney reasonable compensation for services. In 1994 Congress amended section 330(a) by deleting or to the debtor s attorney, resulting in a revised statute with a grammatical error. In this case, the Chapter 11 debtor s counsel filed an application with the bankruptcy court seeking attorney s fees under section 330(a)(1) for the time he spent working on a behalf of a debtor after the case had been converted to Chapter 7. The U.S. Trustee objected, arguing that section 330(a) makes no provision for the estate to compensate an attorney who is not employed by the estate trustee and approved by the court under section 327. The bankruptcy court, district court, and Fourth Circuit all held that in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case section 330(a)(1) does not authorize payment of attorney s fees unless the attorney has been appointed under section 327. On appeal, the Supreme Court affirmed the Fourth Circuit, holding that under the plain meaning rule, section 330(a)(1) does not authorize compensation awards to debtors attorneys from estate funds, unless they are employed as under section 327. If an attorney is to be paid from estate funds under section 330(a)(1) in a Chapter 7 case, he must be employed by the trustee and approved by the court. In so ruling, the Supreme Court agreed with rulings of the Fourth, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, and disagreed with the rulings of the Second, Third and Ninth Circuits. The Court disagreed that the Court must look to legislative history to determine Congress intent because the existing statutory text is ambiguous in light of the predecessor statute and the grammatical error created by the amendment. Instead, the Court found that despite the grammatical error, the statute was capable of being read as to its plain meaning. The missing verbiage in the statute did not alter the text s substance, nor did it obscure its meaning.

14 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 8 In re Texasoil Enterprises, Inc., 296 B.R. 431; (Bankr. N.D. Tex. July 30, 2003, Judge Dennis Michael Lynn) Issue: Whether fees for counsel for a Chapter 11 debtor in a failed reorganization case should be reduced for counsel s various administrative deficiencies in the case, and for counsel s failure to monitor the debtor under an order entered by the court under section 1107 requiring him to do so. A Chapter 11 debtor owned and operated three retail gas station/convenience stores. On the motion of a creditor, the court held a status conference where the United States Trustee and other parties advised the court at the status conference that they were concerned by actions of debtor that were inconsistent with the authority and duties of a debtor in possession, including (1) payment of prepetition debt; (2) retention of an accountant without court authority; and (3) use of cash collateral without court authority. As a result, the court entered an order pursuant to sections 1107 and 1108 limiting debtor s operating authority and imposing on debtor s counsel certain oversight responsibilities to ensure debtor s compliance. Thereafter, the case failed and the debtor was converted to Chapter 7. The United States Trustee objected to attorneys fees of counsel for the debtor, arguing that counsel s performance was unsatisfactory. Specifically, the United States Trustee complained that counsel failed to give notice of the initially scheduled 341 meeting, that the debtor employed an accountant without court approval, and that there were a number of errors or omissions in debtor s schedules. The United States Trustee also argued that debtor s case failed to produce a good result and that the failure was attributable in significant part to counsel s inadequacy. Finally, the United States Trustee argued that did not properly comply with the 1107 order. The court explained that it had entered the section 1107 order rather than impose a number of other remedies against the debtor, including appointment of a Chapter 11 trustee, appointment of an examiner and conversion of the case. For that order to have served its intended purpose, it was essential that counsel supervise the debtor. The court found that there was virtually no evidence presented that counsel in fact monitored his clients performance under the section 1107 order. However, given that counsel s adherence to the order probably would not have affected the outcome of the case, the court found that no independent sanction was warranted. The court further found that the debtor s failure to reorganize could not be blamed on its counsel. Success or failure of a reorganization case is only a fair measure of the value and competence of counsel if counsel can be charged with responsibility for the cause of the case s outcome. Here, no action of counsel caused debtor to lose money, nor did counsel create the debt structure that left secured creditors with inadequate collateral. With respect to the various administrative deficiencies, although the court found these to be troubling, the harm caused was minimal. In ultimately ruling on counsel s request to pay himself out of his retainer, the court found that some of counsel s errors in the case in large part resulted in the appointment of a creditor s committee, and that it would be inequitable to allow debtor s counsel all of his retainer, while leaving no assets in the estate to pay to counsel for the creditors committee. Therefore, the court permitted debtor s counsel to pay himself part of the retainer, and to remit the remaining portion to committee members and its counsel. In re Sterling Chemicals Holdings, Inc., 293 B.R. 701; (Bankr. S.D. Tex., May 14, 2003, Judge William R. Greendyke) Issue: Whether fees should be allowed to counsel for a Chapter 11 debtor for performing a conflicts check.

15 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 9 Issue: Whether fees should be awarded to counsel for a Chapter 11 debtor for compliance with attorney disclosure requirements contained in Bankruptcy Rule 22014(a). The United States Trustee objected to the fee applications of counsel for a Chapter 11 debtor primarily on the ground that counsel were requesting compensation for time spent conducting conflicts checks to demonstrate their disinterestedness under section 327, and for preparing retention applications and verified statements of connections pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule The United States Trustee argued that that because the Bankruptcy Code requires bankruptcy counsel to be disinterested, the obligation to determine whether a professional meets this standard and can work on a particular case is a prerequisite and continuing obligation for continued employment. Counsel responded, citing primarily the Fifth Circuit opinion in Rose Pass Mines, Inc. v. Howard. In that case, the Fifth Circuit held that counsel for any professional hired under section 327 should be entitled to reasonable compensation for preparation of fee applications and attendance at any necessary hearings. Counsel made a direct analogy between the facts and circumstances involved in Rose Pass Mines and those involved in this case. The court distinguished Rose Pass Mines in finding that in this case, one of the applicants merged with another law firm midstream during this case. Part of that merger process involved a conflicts check with the members of the new firm. This work neither benefited the debtor or the estate, nor was it required by the court but for the business decisions of the two firms. The court held that this activity fell outside the rationale of Rose Pass Mines and was not compensable. Further, the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct pertaining to conflicts are largely mandatory as opposed to discretionary. The court found that a client should not be charged for that level of conflicts checking that is mandated by the disciplinary rules as a condition of employment. However, the court found that when the level of involvement crosses over from a conflicts check required by the Texas Disciplinary Rules to that level of analysis and disclosure required by the Bankruptcy Code and Rules, the activity becomes compensable under the holding of Rose Pass Mines. The court held that it would, therefore, allow compensation for all reasonable and necessary efforts to comply with the disclosure requirements of Bankruptcy Rule 2014(a). AUTOMATIC STAY Bustamante v. Cueva (Matter of Cueva) 371 F.3d 232; (5 th Cir., May 19, 2004, Judge Harold R. DeMoss, Jr.) Issue: Whether section 549(c) provides an exception to the automatic stay imposed by section 362, where property is purchased at a post-petition foreclosure sale by a good faith purchaser of property who lacks knowledge of the debtor s bankruptcy filing. After debtor filed for bankruptcy, a foreclosure sale was conducted against property of the estate that was subject to the automatic stay of section 362. Purchaser A purchased a one-half interest in that property at a foreclosure sale, and purchaser B purchased the other one-half interest. Purchaser A then subsequently purchased the other one-half interest from purchaser B. Prior to the filing of bankruptcy, purchaser B was informed that a bankruptcy would be filed, and that the foreclosure sale would not go forward. Purchaser A was not aware of that conversation at the time of the foreclosure sale. Prior to the foreclosure sale going forward, the debtor s bankruptcy attorney faxed a notice of the bankruptcy to the lender s attorneys. However, the attorneys, who claimed that they had not seen the notice in time, did not notify the substitute trustee of the bankruptcy filing and the foreclosure sale went forward.

16 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 10 In an adversary action brought by purchaser A, the bankruptcy court awarded him a one-half interest in the property based on his status as a good faith purchaser, and awarded the debtor the other one-half interest. The court held that although the foreclosure sale violated section 362, under section 549(c) purchaser A did not have notice of the bankruptcy and therefore was a good faith purchaser, meaning his purchase of a one-half interest of the property was valid. The bankruptcy court awarded the other onehalf interest in the property to the debtor, holding that purchaser B s purchase of a one-half interest at the foreclosure sale was void because he had notice of the bankruptcy at the time of the sale. The parties appealed. The district court reversed the portion of the bankruptcy court s award that granted purchaser a one-half interest in the property, holding that the foreclosure sale violated the automatic stay imposed by section 362. On appeal to the Fifth Circuit, purchaser A argued that he was entitled to both his one-half interest and purchaser B s one-half interest in the Property. The Fifth Circuit found that when a bankruptcy case is filed, section 362 automatically imposes a statutory stay against any act to enforce any lien against property of the estate, and that such actions are invalid whether or not a creditor acts with knowledge of the stay. Section 362 delineates eighteen exceptions to the automatic stay, but does not provide an exception for bona fide purchasers. Because section 362 does not prohibit a debtor from disposing of property belonging to the bankruptcy estate, section 549 provides additional protection to the estate for post-petition transactions neither subject to section 362(a) nor authorized by the court. In turn, section 549(c) gives a bona fide purchaser a defense to a trustee's avoidance powers under section 549(a). However, the Fifth Circuit held that section 549(c) only applies as a defense to the limited authority of a bankruptcy trustee to avoid certain transfers of property under section 549(a). It does not act as an exception to the automatic stay of section 362. Foreclosures in violation of the automatic stay are invalid, even if the parties did not have notice of the bankruptcy, unless the court grants retroactive relief from the stay. Therefore, the Fifth Circuit held that the district court did not err in reversing that part of the bankruptcy court's decision. CASH COLLATERAL All Trac Transportation, Inc. v. Transportation alliance Bank, (In re All Trac Transportation, Inc.), 310 B.R. 570; (Bankr.N.D.Tex., June 8, 2004, Judge Steven A. Felsenthal) Issue: The appropriate amount of attorneys fees to be awarded to a debtor for prosecuting a civil contempt case against a creditor for violations of the automatic stay and various court orders. In a previously decided memorandum opinion and order, the bankruptcy court held that a creditor had, on several occasions, violated provisions of the automatic stay of section 362(a), and various court orders, resulting in the court finding the creditor in civil contempt of court. For the contemptuous violations of the stay and court orders, the court found that the debtor established damages of approximately $5,700. The court also found that the creditor had tortiously interfered with debtor s contractual relationship with another party, causing recoverable damages of approximately $5,700. Based on these findings, the court found that the debtor was entitled to recover reasonable attorney s fees and expenses. The question addressed in this opinion was the reasonable amount of those fees, given total damages in the amount of approximately $5,700, and a fee request in excess of $437,000. The court found that a federal court determines reasonable attorney s fees by applying a lodestar analysis. Debtor reported its hours in the litigation to be approximately 2,200, resulting in a blended hourly rate of $ The court found those hourly rates to be reasonable, being well within the rates customarily charged in the community by attorneys with comparable experience. The court therefore

17 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Page 11 turned to the reasonableness of spending 2,200 hours on a matter that ultimately resulted in an award of approximately $5,700. Although the debtor asserted that the development of the factual issues in the case were significantly difficult, challenging and highly time consuming, the court found that the debtor had failed to meet its burden of proof on many contentions in the litigation, and that had the debtor focused on some of the reasons for the demise of their business that did not implicate the creditor actions, the debtor would have reasonably taken a more nuanced approach to the litigation. The litigation strategy of blaming the creditor for debtor s demise skewed the litigation, adding excessive hours of trial time and related trial preparation and pretrial disputes. Having presided over the trial and after a review of counsel s time records, the court found that it could infer the reasonable amount of time needed to present the stay and court order violation issues with a reasonable approach to damages. In making these findings, the court found that the trial should have taken no more than eight six-hour court days, with two attorneys representing the debtor, for a total of 96 hours in court time and 288 hours of trial preparation time. Applying the blended rate of $ per hour, the lodestar fee would be $68, The court therefore ordered attorneys fees in that amount. Mirant Americas Energy Marketing, L.P. v. Kern Oil & Refining Co. (In re Mirant Corp.), 310 B.R. 548; (Bankr. N.D. Tex. May 17, 2004, Judge Dennis Michael Lynn) Issue: Whether reversal of payment from defendant to debtor violated section 362 automatic stay or was protected as the exercise of contractual right to liquidate forward contract pursuant to Section 556. Issue: Whether a creditor violated the automatic stay by receiving and retaining deliveries of goods from the debtor after the termination of the contract. Issue: Whether a creditor is entitled to offset or recoup damages from the rejection of contract against post-termination payments due to a debtor. Issue: Whether an agreement was a forward contract. Issue: Whether a creditor was a forward contract merchant. The plaintiff/debtor was in the business of trading in and supplying energy products, including natural gas. Defendant was a small, independent refining company. In 2002, Defendant entered into a two-year agreement with plaintiff/debtor to supply a set amount of natural gas at a fixed price to fuel defendant s cogeneration facility, beginning on January 1, Prior to entry of the agreement, plaintiff/debtor and defendant had entered into a netting agreement that contemplated being applicable to future contracts between plaintiff/debtor and defendant and which contained an ipso facto default provision of the kind referred to in section 365(e)(2)(A)(i) of the Bankruptcy Code. In July of 2003, plaintiff/debtor (and its parent company and other affiliates) filed for Chapter 11 protection. Plaintiff/debtor continued to supply natural gas to defendant; however in October, 2003, plaintiff/debtor filed a motion to reject the agreement. Approximately one week later, defendant notified plaintiff/debtor that it was liquidating the agreements as forward contracts pursuant to section 556. After the filing of the rejection motion but prior to notice of liquidation, defendant acted to reverse a prior payment. The prior payment had already posted to plaintiff/debtor s account, therefore the reversal appeared as a debit from plaintiff/debtor s account rather than acting simply as a stop payment. Subsequently, the court authorized rejection of the agreement.